Guard finger and ledger plate for mowing machines



Z, 1932- J. B. JENSON 1,869,898

GUARD FINGER AND LEDGER PLATE FOR MOWI NG MACHINES Filed May 19, 1950 ments inguard finger and they form no ly used is Patented Aug. 2, 1932 A UNITED STA J ES B. TENS-0N, or saixr' r axn crry, UTAH GUARD FINGER AND 'Lnnenn PLATE non MOWING MACHINES 'Application filed May 19, 1936. Serial No. 458,566.

This invention comprises novelimprovea ledge plate means adapted to be used as parts of the cutting apparatus of a mowing-machine, or harvester. I l The mowing-machine comprises, as usual, the necessary instrumentalities to operate the cutting knife or sickle bar with its customary means for lifting and shifting the cutting apparatus. 7 I N machine are omitted from the drawing, as part of this invention other than they are used in combination with the guard finger and the ledger plate.

For the guard fingers such as now used, the ledger plate is either riveted to or fastened with screws to the guard finger. The known object of the ledger plate is to provide a cutting edge to meet the cutting edge of the knife or sickle bar mounted on the cutting apparatus, guard fingers through the instrumentalities for the actuating means. It is wellknown that the ledger plates become dull and'incapacitated through use,

and also broken or nicked by coming into contact with gravel and rocks encountered p in the movement of the .mowing-machine over the surface being mowed. The ledger plates under the above conditions must be removed and replaced by new ones, ifthe mowing-machine is to perform its functions efiectually. To replace the ledger plates now common an irksome task, due to the rivets or screws,

olf and driven out, and screws become rusted inthe structure, and sometimes the heads are broken off in endeavoring to remove them. The object of this invention is to overcome this difliculty, and to improve the mounting and removalof the ledger plates. practice of my invention, the ledger plates may be removed or mounted in a very short interval oftirne, and with very ordinary and simple tools, such as a punch, a chisel 'or:fiat elongated piece of metal, or othersuit'able tool. l j

This invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accom- These details of the mowing and reciprocating in the.

because'rivets must be chopped In the res PATENT; orrica-f 'f p anyingdrawing forms a part, in which the separate parts of my improvements are desgnated by 'suitab'le reference characters in each. ofthe views.-

I Figure l 'is atop view of a guard finger with theledger plate mounted therein. p Figure 2 isa longitudinal sectional view taken about line 22 in Figure 1, showing the means for connecting the ledger plate t the guard finger. I

Figure 3 1s a sectional fragmentary view of aguard finger and the ledger plate, showing the interposition of a tool therein and thereunder, with a hammer adjacent one of thetools, to illustrate the simple method of mounting or removing the ledger plate. 2

Figure 4 11s a cross sectional view of the guard finger and ledger plate taken on line 1-4 in, Figure 1 showing the relation of the ledger plate to the guard finger.

In the drawing forming. a part of this specification 1 have. shown the guard finger A, in which the ledger plate B is removably mounted therein. The guard finger is provided with an'aperture 1, adapted to receive a rivet or other suitable member for the purose of'securing the guard finger in fixed relation to its associate part or. parts of the mowing-machine. Adjacent the pointed end of the guard finger there is provided a pocket or receiving socket 2, the lower wall or floor 3 of which, is provided with a curvature or contour 4 leading upwardly in the guard the s'ickle or knife that may be reciprocated W therein. Adjacent the entrance of the pocket or receiving socket there-is placeda downwardly extending and transverse rib 7, this rib'is adapted-to form a fulcrum ors upport against which the ledger plate rests when ,mounted in the guard finger and tending to force the rear end of the plate downwardly.

The upper wall 5 has also a semi-circular .orother suitable shaped notch 8, adapted to permit the mounting of a tool used inmount- 15 the socket 2.

ing or removing the ledger plate. The guard finger is provided with laterally extending arms 9 and 9, these arms provide a bearing surface for the sickle or knife. A notch or depression 10 is provided intermediate the arms, and of a depth equal substantially to the thickness of the ledger plate. A recess or depression 11 of-a suitable configuration is provided in the-guard finger'for the re-.

ception on the rear extremity of the ledger plate. The wall 11 of the recess 11 is provided with an inclined face adapted to receive the complemental bevelled face formed on the rear end of the ledger plate. The guard finger is also provided with a series of depressions 12, 13 and 14L to reduce the weight of the guardfinger.

The ledger plate B is provided at one end with a reduced integrally formed portion 15, forming with the ledger plate shoulders 16 and 16. The reduced portion is mounted in the socket 2, and the socket is provided to prevent lateral displacement of the ledger plate at this extremity. The other extremity or end 17 is suitably formed, and is mounted in the recess or depression formed in theguard finger provided for its reception. Lateral displacement is prohibited at this end by the squared shoulders, flanges, or ribs, 24 and M that form a part of the perimeter that bounds the socket or depression 11 formed for the ledger plate reception. An aperture 18 is provided in the ledger plate for the reception of a suitable tool 19, to be mounted therein, for the removing or mounting the ledger plate 13. 20 indicates a hammer in proximity to the tool 19, depicting its use in conjunction with the removing or mounting tool. 21 indicates a tool and represents vividly its-position in removing the ledger plate, it being used as a lever to break the interlocking connection between the ledger plate and the guard finger. The ledger plate is slightly tapered as at 23, so that it will conform to the contour of the socket wall or floor.

In practice of my invention, if it is de sired to remove a ledger plate, a tool is inserted in the depression 10 and pushed under the plate B, and forced downward in the direction of the arrow shown in Figure 3, this movement forces the plate up and over the angled or bevelled end of the socketll. The tool is next placed in the aperture in the ledger plate, and'the tool is struck, thus releasing the plate from the socket 2 in the guard finger.

To mount the ledger plate, which is of spring metal, the plate is driven into the socket 2, and because of the special construction of the socket, and the end portion of the ledger plate, the end is caused to follow the curvature or contour of the bottom wall of This causes the other extrem ity to be sprung downwardly or takea downward position, when the plate hasreached shown. that the ledger plate is securely held in place by the resiliency inherently within itself, it being made of aspring steel plate.

It will be further noted that the top of the ledger plate is flush with the top of the arms 9 and 9.

In accordance with the patent statutes I have set forth in a specific manner required thereby one complete embodiment of my invention, but it 'is to be understood-that this is only for illustrative purposes and that the invention is capable of assuming other forms than that illustrated, and that the claims hereto annexed are not to be limited to the specific devices illustrated, except as is specifically recited therein.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure'by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In combination, a guard finger provided with a socket, a resilient ledger plate for the guard finger and adapted to be inserted in the socket, the ledger plate having a configuration corresponding to that of the socket and snugly fitting therein, and means for interlocking the ledger plate in thetguard finger, the socket being formed .to maintain the interlocking action through cooperation with the inherent resiliency of the plate.

2. In combination a guard finger, provided with a socket having an upwardly curved bottom, a resilient ledger plate fitting into the socket, an inwardly extending rib on the top wall of the socket, the rib being adapted to form a fulcrum adjacent the entrance of said socket and exerting a downwardly directed force 011 the rear of the ledger plate, the said ledger plate having its end fitted into the socket shaped to conform to the bottom there of, the ledger plate also cooperating with the said fulcrum rib when mounted in the socket, and means for interlocking the ledger plate in the guard finger.

3- In combination a uard finger provided with a forward socket having an upwardly directed bottom, .a resilient ledger plate fitting into the socket, a transverse rib integral with the top of the socket and bearing against the ledgerrplate, the rib being'positioned adjacent the socket entrance, the said finger being provided with a recess downwardly thereof to. receive the rear extremity of the ledger plate, the ledger plate having a reduced and tapered forward end, shaped to conform to the upwardly directed bottom of the socket, the said ledger plate bearing against the formed in the top of the socket and adjacent the entrance thereof, a ledger plate having a reduced and tapered end mounted in the said socket and bearing against the rib and bottom thereof, the finger having a recess rearwardly thereof having a bevelled wall, and partial perimetrical vertical shoulders, the ledger plate having its rear end bevelled to register with the bevelled wall of the recess and interlocked therewith through the instrumentalities of the angled wall and partial perimetrical shoulders, and an opening in the ledger plate for the reception of a tool to break the interlock.

5. In combination a guard finger, a ledger plate therefor, the guard'finger being provided with a socket having a depending rib adjacent the entrance thereof, the ledger plate having a reduced end portion mounted in the socket and bearing against the rib, 'a second socket remote from the first socket, the said socket being bounded by partial perimetrical squared shoulders, and having a wall other than vertical, the said wall being provided with a depression intermediate its length adapted to provide an opening whereby a tool may be introduced under the ledger plate, the ledgerplate being mounted in the socket and provided with an angled face and interlocking with the wall other than vertical, and being laterally limited by perimetrical squared shoulders, the ledger plate being interlocked in the socket by pressure exerted by the rib upon the plate and by the inherent resiliency of the plate.

6. As a new article of manufacture, a guard finger for use with a mowing-machine, the guard finger being provided with a socket having an upwardly curved bottom, afulcrum rib adjacent the entrance of the socket depending from the top wall thereof, a second socket formed remote therefrom and having a rear wall at an angle, and bounded by partial perimetrical vertical shoulders, arms extending therebeyond, and a portion having an aperture therein whereby the same may be secured to the mowing-machine.

7. In combination a guard finger, a resilient ledger plate therefor, the guard finger provided with a socket the socket having a rib adjacent the entrance thereof, atop wall extending backward from the socket, and provided with a notch in the end thereof, the ledger plate having a reduced and tapered end, the end mounted in the socket, and the and socket, the guard finger being provided with ledger plate cooperating with the rib a second socket remote from the first socket, the said second socket having an angled wall .and oppositely disposed vertical shoulders,

the angled wall having a depression intermediate-its lengthadapted to provide a depression whereby a tool may be introduced under the ledger plate, the ledger plate'being resiliently secured in "the socket and interlocking therewith through a complemental end on the ledger plate and the shoulders,

cavities in the guard finger adapted to lighten the device, and an aperture in the guard finger adapted to receive a securing device. I v. e

8. In combination, a guard finger, provided with a socket having a portion of contoured configuration in the forward end of the guard finger, the second socket remote fromthe first socket, a ledger plate comprising a body of resilient metal having a reduced end portion mounted in the contoured socket and deflected thereby,

the other end of the ledger plate formed to fit within the remote socket, and held when mounted therein by the resiliency of the ledger plate.

p 9. In combination, a guard finger provided with a socket in the forwardend of the guard finger and having a rib formed at the entrance thereof, a ledger plate comprising a body of resilient metal having a reduced end portion mounted in the socket, the finger being also provided with a second socket remote from the first socket, the other end of the ledger plate formed to fit within the remote socket, the ledger plate being operatively related to the rib and deflected thereby, the ledger plate being held when mounted in the remote socket by the resiliency of the ledger plate. I

'10. In combination, a mowing-machine guard finger provided with a ledger plate engaging socket, and a resilient ledger plate finger being also provided with a engaged at one end with said socket and the spring tension under which the plate is placed without other fastening means.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature.

JAMES B. JENSON. 

